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1. |
Legend
06:21
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The Guardians - an ancient order of warrior arbitrators who exist outside of the strata of society.
Disconnected from any lineage or hierarchy, their unique position allows for incontestable
judgment - and punishment - to be doled out to anyone regardless of wealth, status, privilege, or
class. They hold sacred no gods, no men, but simply balance itself: an equilibrium of both good
and evil. This highly honored position attracts countless volunteers, very few of which survive
the ordeals of training in the Guardians’ mountainous stronghold. Occasionally, the Guardians
will purchase children of the poor and destitute as servants. Even fewer of these children
survive.
This is where our story begins…
“Heed the words of your master.”
No sign of regret as they sold him away
For a pittance of silver
The tears of the child evolve to hate
Their name, their face
Condemned to an arduous fate
The guardians bend and break
In the halls of the stronghold
Bodies are tested; minds take shape
The boy will learn, and grow
Will you light a fire
When the world is bitter and cold?
Will you build the pyre
Out of that which you carry around in your soul?
Can you feed the flames
With the kindling of memories old?
Will they speak your name?
Over and over and over the story is told
Surviving the winter
No easy task for a boy of his age
In the halls of the chosen
Heartache, the one thing that they can’t cage
He slips away
But is caught at the end of the day
His future they now debate:
“We’ll harness the fire
Acolyte training will be his fate.”
Before it’s too late
A child, left alone,
Robbed of the warmth of his home,
Will build, build a fire
Out of anything,
anywhere that he may roam
A child, with no home,
Through trials and training unknown,
Will grow, and desire
And build the heart of his pyre
Sit with me now,
watch as the story unfolds
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2. |
Acolyte
04:29
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Chosen for Acolyte training, an arduous path lies ahead. The young child’s first test is to find his
Master - and the training grounds - hidden somewhere in the unforgiving mountains that tower
above the stronghold…
Finally you’ve found me
So listen to my words
There will be a price to pay
Certainly you’ve heard
If you wish to follow
And give up all you know
You must choose this willingly
You are letting go
No more a captive to your anger
No more a child of control
Acolyte
No one lives in black and white
Ignore the evil that you know
And watch it feast upon your soul
Acolyte
Fear the mourning of the light
That which is growing in your soul
Should heed the reins of your control
Nothing but a shadow
I have always been
Guardian to the balance
of the beast that lies within
The path ahead is ruthless
You may surely die
You will feel a thousand deaths
of pain to purify
No more a captive to your anger
No more a child of control
Farewell to honor and distinction
No more a servant to a soul
Acolyte
Hear the wailing in the night
Sorrow feeds inside your head
And lusts to dance among the dead
Acolyte
See your spirit burning bright
Fall on litany and prayer
You’ll never outrun your despair
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3. |
Charlatan
04:08
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Surviving many years of training, the boy - now a young man - attains the rank of Guardian, and
with it, the renowned symbol of their rank: the Guardian’s blade. Eager to prove his worth, the
young Guardian departs the stronghold to confront those who cause imbalance…
They come and conquer;
No mortal stronger than a warrior supreme
Or so they make it seem
Scars and blood
Rust and mud
To terrorize the soft and meek
A blustering technique
Wild and raucous
Loud and pompous
they drift from street to street
Always dodging from defeat
I see the fear that’s hidden in their eyes
True valor never yields;
a charlatan’s the first to run and hide
No escape so now you must decide
Beg for your life,
or be buried with your pride
Step forward, charlatan
Pay for your lies
My steel will separate
the ones who dare pretend
Today you die!
Through many years
And bloody tears
I cursed the sky for I was weak
Vengeance I did seek
Forego my name
Renounce my claim
And a guardian was born
On my blood an oath was sworn
I have tasted from the cup of pain
I have endured the countless lashes gave and never looked away
I have spat into the face of death
You cannot take when there is nothing left
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4. |
Feed the Wolves
03:30
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Word of the young Guardian’s prowess spreads quickly, and he is eventually assigned
Guardianship over the land’s sovereign city. However, a new challenge faces him as the city is
home to an organized and intelligent gang of criminals. Exceedingly careful to cover their tracks,
the young Guardian has little evidence from which to assess punishment. And perhaps their
very existence is needed to keep the balance of good and evil in the large metropolis? The city’s
populace knows little about this vow of balance and simply protests his inaction towards what
they see as an obvious threat. The young guardian is torn between appeasing the people and
fulfilling his vow, and his inability to take action fills him with a sense of frustration, foreboding,
and dread…
Claws out, scratching my door
Already know that I can take no more
Silence the screams, begging for war
Against these empty-headed carnivores
Sell your spirit to the pack
Ready your attack
Tearing flesh from the bone
Play the role of the victim
Through the city they roam
Someone’s feeding the wolves tonight
Biting off the hand that feeds
Leave no trace, watching you bleed
Follow the pack and act how you feel
Strap your mind to the breaking wheel
Roam the city seeking blood
Crawling through the mud
Tearing flesh from the bone
Play the role of the victim
Through the city they roam
Is it a curse or a symptom?
Throw your mind away, follow what they say
This is the cost of believing
If they catch you alone
Someone’s feeding the wolves tonight
People try to say
Lock them all away
To stop the city from bleeding
If they catch you alone
Someone’s feeding the wolves tonight
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5. |
Carry the Weight
04:01
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The next evening, the foreboding and dread building for months inside the Guardian’s mind has
finally manifested itself into reality. Tragedy has struck. One of the wolves’ new recruits - a
particularly bloodthirsty and violent individual - has attempted to expedite his enlistment by very
publicly - and very violently - murdering a young child.
Another slaughter on the street tonight
But this time no one looks the other way
The cries of agony and anger
At the child’s tattered body on display
You know who held the knife
You could have saved her life
And now I carry
(Carry the shame, you are to blame)
The heavy burden of my choice
I am haunted by her voice
“You could have saved me”
(Why did you wait, to keep us safe)
Suffocated by the weight
Of the life my vow would not allow to take
Sovereign city in my care
Full of people who now spit upon my name
I am a child of the balance
Once again I am abandoned all the same
Bound to the oath I swear
But do they even care
And now I carry
(Carry the shame, you are to blame)
Watch them tearing at the walls
As the statues start to fall
Will I bury
(Bury her name, your honor slain)
All the hope of better days
And a familiar voice
that’s screaming “run away!”
How can I carry
(Carry the shame, you are to blame)
With my spirit running thin
Knowing I will never win
Forever wary
(Your privilege gone, where you belong)
That no matter what I choose
I will always be the one condemned to lose
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6. |
Offering to the Void
04:32
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The enraged mob chisels and tears the Guardian statues from the walls of the central Guardian
tower and carries them towards the “void” - a large, seemingly bottomless maw in the earth just
outside of the city’s walls. With nearly unscalable sides and nothing but blackness below, the
void is many things to many people - a sacrificial altar for the old gods, a garbage dump, a
dangerous and foreboding landmark - and on this day it may fulfill all of those roles…
There’s a crowd at the edge of the void, pushing together
And the guards to make sure that no man interferes
And I, alone, overlooking the nether
And I, alone, my anger choking back tears
Watch it go, fall into the shadow
My toil a sacrifice to the blackened maw below
And all I know, swallowed into the shadow
Just an offering to the void; Just another stone to throw
Calloused hands guide chisel on stone for what feels like a lifetime
And the inlays carefully cloaked with silver and gold
And the mob that gathers outside, voracious with gall
All the while, they’re building the pile, awaiting the fall
(You failed us!
Clean your hands of sin, make your offering
Come and pay the price, with a sacrifice
To the gods of old, witness and behold)
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7. |
Champion
05:12
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Shaken by the conduct of the city he swore to protect, the young Guardian finds himself
questioning his own actions and the very concept of what “balance” means...
Forgiveness
That is what you’ve taken away
When you spat upon the hand
Held out in aid
Vengeance
Though it is forbidden by faith
The guardians of your walls
You now desecrate
If they die
By my hand
Has the light forsaken them?
Turned into beasts, no longer men
I am not their champion
Scour the land for signs of light
But only embers remain
The lofty doctrine of our clan
Consumed by the flames
I am changing
Becoming what you’ve seen me to be
The monster you have made
Has finally swallowed me
There was a flame
That beckoned me
Choked in the twilight of your hearts
Now darkness envelops me
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8. |
The Invitation
00:42
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9. |
Dance of Control
04:17
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Seizing upon their chance, the wealthy aristocrats of the city offer the beleaguered Guardian a
chance to unwind by attending an extravagant ball. It is said that Guardians cannot be bribed
and cannot be influenced…and yet…
As their control of the city is also threatened by the wolves, they begin to spin their web of
manipulation…
“Take a respite from your fight,
to come and dance with us tonight”
Spinning silken thread into a striking gown
“Bare your innermost desire
and I’m sure we can acquire”
Captivating eyes that mesmerize;
your will is breaking down
Compel my tongue
Thy will, Be done
Spellbound by the masquerade
Caught inside a trance
And blinded to the strings they tie
That force you to dance
Drowning in their crimson wine
It permeates your soul
Manifest the tempo of your mind
Caught in the dance of control
The gentle hand that draws you near
Whispers poison to your ear
Slowly suffocate the sentience of your mind
Spin and dance around the ball
Pretend you had a choice at all
Weave a veil across your eyes, oh, the bridle of the blind
Oh, recreate you out of gold
Substitute your will so you do as you are told
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10. |
These Tower Walls
04:55
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The words of the aristocrats echo in the Guardian’s head: This city has fallen out of balance. His
instincts told him what had to be done, but his oath of balance stopped him. And where has it
gotten him? Innocents dead, and a city that spits on the honor of his sacred position! No more
indecision; if the city will not listen, then he must take a new approach…
They are children in need
Disregarding their virtue for greed
I have given them freedom
and watched them suffer
I have shouldered their pain
All I received was a curse on my name
Bite the hand of their master
and bleed their brothers dry!
(You rule by) Mercy be damned
(Conscription) I held their hand
(Our choice is over)
Now I will drag them to the light!
My time at hand
Calling for vengeance to be done?
Your wish is my command
To end their suffering
The symmetry vowed in my soul
I let go
You will listen to me
There will be those who reject my decree
For the good of the nation
I end their blindness
No more praying in vain
I am your savior; call out my name
For the good of us all
I demand that you comply
These tower walls
Once they were sacred in my mind
Now shadow over all
To kill my suffering
The symmetry vowed in my soul I forego
Their silken words rang true
Now peace I shall renew
My mind is made
Freed from the irons of restraint
Release the Guardian’s blade
An end to suffering
The balance once found in my soul
I let go
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11. |
Power of Evil
05:41
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The more blood that is spilled and the more power the Guardian takes, the faster order is
returned to the city. This approach is so much easier, he wonders why he even suppressed this
side of his power in the first place! In his eyes, the order of the city has been restored. However,
the more evil he lets in, and the more he gives in to hubris, the darker his soul becomes…
The fools that fawn upon their fellow man
Show me a king who didn’t rule by killing
A feast of blood to sate my appetite
Save your “honor” for a world of black and white
You’ll bend the knee
And then we’ll see
If I keep you alive
Whispering my name
Forms the clouds that black the sky
Say your last goodbye
Cowering in fear
As the end is drawing near
I will watch you die
Building my cathedral - to the power of evil
A living shadow that you’ve learned to fear
I am the beast who feeds on faith and valor
Twisting your mind; you now belong to me
Your final breath - the only thing that sets you free
Impose my will, draw out the kill
Your soul is mine
Expose your fears through bloody tears
The pain divine
Bitter is the wind
That foreshadows my return
All your hopes will burn
Desecrate and drain
As you cry to God in vain
Heroes never learn
Building my cathedral
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12. |
The Blade
05:25
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The imbalance of the city and the corruption of the young Guardian reaches the ears of his
Master. Vowing to undo the damage and pull his Acolyte back from the mires of evil, the Master
travels to the city, confronting the Guardian at the top of the tower.
Shocked to stone at the man you have become
Broken shell, once so innocent and young
Warped and torn, there’s no balance in this state
Take my hand, I will free you from your hate
These useless words are lessons in lies!
These simple fools won’t compromise!
Give me the blade and one by one
We will undo the things you’ve done
Can’t you see? All that power in your soul?
Just bitter pain; just a slave with no control
Rule by force, and the balance you ignore
Those you’ve slain, are they better than before?
Those hopeless dregs I could not purify?
Did they not deserve to die?
Give me the blade
and one by one
We will undo the
things you’ve done
This guardian’s blade? A simple task!
All that you had to do was ask...
A sudden snap to focus
by the master’s final breath
Sacred blade, that once signified my path
Now wet with blood, sparked by suffering and wrath
This lifeless frame, once had raised me as his own
And once again, I am utterly alone
I close my master’s eyes
All hear my cries:
Take back the blade! What have I done?
This twisted thing that I’ve become
My senses frayed! My master slain
No absolution for me; no solace for my pain
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13. |
Heart of Ashes
07:12
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As he thrust his blade through the heart of the man who raised him - the only father he ever
knew - the corrupting power suddenly leaves his soul and his vision becomes clear. His hands
covered with blood and his heart heavy with newfound regret, the Guardian looks upon the city.
The people below who live in fear of his sweeping judgments - are they truly better off? Do they
now respect the Guardians, or simply live in terror of them? The flames that once burned inside
of his heart have now reached up and consumed him. From the parapets of the tower, his eyes
turn from the body of his master and softly focus on the void. There is one way to restore the
balance. One way to make things right. To fulfill his vow, he knows what he must do…
How deep are the layers of blood
collected upon these two hands?
In the corner my master lays still
Lifeless, broken, and damned
Surveying a city strangled by fear
No better off
than when I first appeared
As pain comes in wave after wave
The wind gently whispers my name
This fire, I fed it my soul, burned all I know,
Burned down to ashes, I
I gave it control, swallowed me whole
Burned down to ashes, bitter and cold
I pray that the wind picks me up
And scatters me over their graves
Those that I’d killed, those I condemned
And the child that I never saved
Pulled under by currents of guilt
The void, now screaming my name
This fire, I fed it my soul, burned all I know,
Burned down to ashes, I
I gave it control, swallowed me whole
Burned down to ashes, bitter and cold
Fate’s letting me go
My destiny known;
Just another stone to throw
I stand at the edge of the void, my honor destroyed,
Burned down to ashes, I
I now comprehend, just one way to end,
One way to balance, balance it all
God, let me atone
Take this heart made of ash; all that I own
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Lords of the Trident Madison, Wisconsin
Lords of the Trident is the most METAL band on earth. Their metal's so pure that only diamonds can scratch it, and usually the diamonds are the ones that end up getting hurt in the end. Their amps are so loud, Manowar knocked on their door and asked them to "please turn down". ... more
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